Chocolate Recipes to Live For

Easter is almost here - another reason to indulge in that ancient delicacy known as chocolate. We humans have been consuming chocolate, or cacao, for over 2000 years. The Aztecs and Mayans knew about grinding the cacoa seeds into a pulp that could be combined with many other ingredients. It was not only delicious but in its pure form, cocoa is extremely beneficial as an antioxident.

There is no question chocolate releases endorphins which make us feel happy and relaxed. Of course we're talking in moderation, and we're talking about the dark, pure chocolate, not a handful of milk-chocolate kisses. It is said that eating lots of chocolate can prolong one's life - according to a few supercentenarians including Jeanne Calment (1875-1997) and Sarah Knauss (1880-1999) who both ate copious amounts of chocolate.

It isn't a health factor for most of us - we just like it. I remember as a kid getting a huge chocolate fudge Easter Egg from See's Candies every year - plus the basket full of various other light and dark chocolates, jelly beans and malt balls. It was rare to have that huge Egg left after eating it all day. We were blissed out and maxed out for weeks!

Anyway, here is a great and easy recipe for chocolate Truffles. Uses dark chocolate for maximum flavor and health!

CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE RECIPE

1 1/2 sticks Butter

1 lb. Bittersweet Chocolate, the BEST you can find!

1/2 cup Cream

4 tablespoons liqueur, Kahlua, Chamboard or Grand Marnier

Cocoa Powder for dusting

Chopped Nuts for rolling; Pistachios, Peanuts, Pecans or Pinons

Directions

Cut butter and chocolate into pieces. Bring cream to boil over medium heat. Add butter and chocolate to cream. Stir until melted. Add liqueur. Chill mixture for at least 2 hours.

Form into balls.

Roll into cocoa, chopped nuts;

Be Creative, Have Fun!

Here's another fabulously decadent chocolate recipe.

MOLTEN LAVA CAKE WITH CHAMBORD TRUFFLE CENTER

Truffle Center:

3/4 cup(s) heavy cream

8 ounce(s) semisweet chocolate chopped

2 ounce(s) liqueur Chambord

Cakes:

2/3 cup(s) flour

1/2 cup(s) cocoa powder, unsweetened

8 ounce(s) semisweet chocolate coarsely chopped

5 ounce(s) butter, unsalted cut into pieces

3 egg

2 egg yolk

1/2 cup(s) sugar

1 vanilla bean pulp

ice cream French Vanilla

red raspberry fresh, for garnish

Directions

Truffle Center (Ganach): Heat heavy cream to a boil and pour over chopped chocolate. Let sit for 2 minutes. Whisk in Chambord until smooth. Pour onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes or refrigerator for 30 minutes until set. Once set, portion ganache into twelve 1-ounce portions (about 1 heaping tablespoon). Round the ganache into balls, using your hands. Freeze until cakes are ready.

Cakes: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 12-cup nonstick muffin pan with butter. Shift flour and cocoa powder together and set aside. Melt the chocolate with the butter over a double boiler. Place the eggs, yolks, sugar and vanilla pulp into a bowl fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat at medium speed until mixture is slightly frothy. Add the melted chocolate mixture at medium speed and mix until combined. Continue to mix at low speed, adding the sifted ingredients until smooth. Portion into the prepared muffin pan evenly. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove pan and place one truffle into the center of each cake about halfway down. Return pan to oven and bake for 15-17 minutes. Check for doneness in cake, not truffle center. Allow to cool slightly and unmold.

Serve with scoop of ice cream and garnish with red raspberries or strawberries.

These recipes are from a great Personal Chef friend of mine, Bonnie Snyder of Savories.net.

The photograph is from another site: Here